saturday

It's 12* here today. I mean it's cold!
We stayed inside.
 As a matter of fact, I stayed in PJ's all day!

I'm cooking Tomato soup and grilled cheese for supper.
Yum!

We booked our Florida beach house today.
I'm very much looking forward to our trip.

I used some gift cards to Barnes and Noble today online.
I bought a John Grisham and a James Patterson book.
I also bought a 2018 calendar.

Son gave me a John Grisham book for Christmas.
I'm going to start reading it tonight!

friday

He's so flipping cute!

thursday

Mr. Bojangles and Woody enjoying the Cat Nip Santa left for them!

Woody keeping an eye on me.

my newest and smallest owl. he's so cute in person!

wed

It was a nice Christmas and Christmas Eve but I'm tired and really don't feel like blogging!
Will be back soon.

wed

We shopped today for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner.................I'll have dinner with my adult children, boyfriend, and my dad here on Christmas Eve. Then all of our family will go to my dads on Christmas day.

I also went to the cemetery today to put Christmas wreaths on my moms and my daughter-in-laws graves. They were pretty.

Tomorrow I will clean the house and maybe do a little more decorating.

Tonight I signed up for huntakiller.com.

I'm not totally sure how it works....but.......I'm really looking forward to it! It sounds like fun!!

7 weeks without a cigarette.
Yay!

tuesday

It's been a difficult year.
I'm not sure if that's why I feel so angry
most of the time
lately.
When I'm not angry, I'm tearful.
I'm losing my freaking mind.
I dread Christmas at my dads house. (I feel guilty even saying it.)
I wish I could skip it..........I'm worried of not having
control over how I react to how I feel.

saturday

My daughter and I went to see The Nutcracker today.
The dancing, stage set, music, and facility was beautiful.
It was a great time!

tuesday

Nothing much going on here!
I've got my Christmas presents wrapped, though I still have a few things to buy.
I'll put bows and ribbons on the presents when it's closer to Xmas!

We went to the grocery store today for just a few things.
Stopped at the alcohol store for a bottle of wine. I don't drink Wine. It makes my heart race.
It's part of the Christmas gift I'm giving to my dad.

I put up the Christmas tree.
I was sure my cat Woody would try to climb it. So far he hasn't.
He just messes the tree skirt.

I quit smoking again.
I had my last cigg Nov. 1.
Since I quit, some of the time I feel
like I'm jumping out of  my skin. It's an awful
feeling!
On the other hand, I'd rather feel the way I feel than be smoking.

I was trying to post a link in my blog to some houses I walk past
most days during my walk but ever since I let go of my AOL and began using google I don't know how to put a link in my blog.
But anyway, I walk in Tower Park in Ft. Thomas most days. In the back of the park are some old and vacant army officer homes. Even though they are dilapidated I love the look and feel of them. The history of the houses and neighborhood is palpable to me.
 I've often wondered why they haven't been restored, brought back to life.
I googled them and found that the VA has sold those houses to the city and the city has hired a builder to restore them.
This makes me very happy. They're going to be beautiful.
......................................

There are ten of them...............

Even though he makes a mess and tears things up, I think he's cute and I love him.

A little marker for where we buried Weeping............................

monday

Today will be all about cleaning the house, and organizing for Thursday. It's also about making sure I have everything here to prepare Thursdays meal!

saturday

I bought tickets to see The Nutcracker at Music Hall in Cincinnati. (A beautiful facility)
I've been wanting to take daughter since she
was a little girl. I guess it was one of those things I never got around to and have always felt regret about not doing. So even though she's an adult now, I'm going to take her, and I can't wait!

wed

Woody is doing well.
He usually gets into bed with me in the middle of the night after I'm already in a sound sleep. He wakes me every time though by putting his very cold nose against my ear tickling me with his nose, whiskers, and from the vibrations of his purring.
I like the little guy. Mostly he's sweet even though he sneaks drinks from the toilet.

thursday

This is the tree in my front yard. I think it's beautiful. It's especially pretty in the fall. It's changing  colors now and in a week or two it will be bright reds, gold, and yellow..

We went to the Wool Festival a couple of weeks ago. I thought the baby pigs were so cute.

Boyfriend is in the other room singing "I found my thrill!" lol     he's such a dork.

When we arrived home the other day from running errands I noted some crime scene tape on my neighbors front door and porch.According to their son they sell drugs. Based on the traffic flow there I believe it. So I thought maybe a drug buy had gone bad......closer look though and I realized it was just Halloween decoration.......

friday

boyfriend had a pet scan wed.
we went to see the oncologist today.
the oncologist said there is no evidence
of cancer in boyfriends lungs.... just some inflammation from the radiation.
so he will have a ct scan in 3 months, a pet scan 3 months after that, and if they remain
clear then he will only have to have a pet scan once a year..........
 we are relieved. it's what we were hoping for.......actually we were just hoping that the cancer didn't grow or go to some other part of boyfriends body...........so the news was  better than we dared to hope for.....
 i'm happy about the results but i don't really feel celebratory. i just feel tired..........and like the cancer is  waiting for us to let down our guard before it rears it's cruel ugly head again.

i folded some towels today,and i changed the beds.
i heated up some lasagna that we had for supper yesterday for supper today.
it wasn't very good yesterday.........was no better today.

i'm a bummer and i know it.
my throats a little sore.
maybe i'm getting sick.

monday

Nothing much going on today.
I have a pot roast, onions, green peppers,and carrots
cooking in the crock pot for supper tonight.

Boyfriend just got home
from having some blood work drawn. Wed. he'll have a
Pet scan, then Friday we have an appointment
with the oncologist.

Son hooked up Netflix for us.
I've been binge watching some of the Netflix series.
Right now I'm watching The Killing. It's pretty good!

saturday

boyfriends son was here from colorado to spend a week with us.......mostly here because he wants to spend as much time as he can with his dad...... for that i am grateful.......him being here always lifts boyfriends mood!
it was good seeing him again.....he's such a pleasant young guy.

i walked outside a minute ago. woody was in the front yard with a little chipmunk in his mouth. i was able to get the chipmunk away from kitty and watched it as it ran away. i carried kitty to inside the house so that he wouldn't go after the chipmunk again. it was such a cute little thing. i hope he's ok!

tuesday

I often wonder if my mom, while raising me and my sisters, was allowed to work outside of the home. I sometimes think dad wouldn't allow it. I'm not sure.
I just think she would have been happier
if she hadn't been a stay at home mom raising 5 children with very little help, other than financially, from my dad.
 I mean I know mom loved us but I don't think being at home everyday with five children was enough for her.  And then when dad would come home in the evening after work she had to wait on him.
 I think the power in her and dads relationship would have been more balanced if mom had worked................and maybe that's why he wouldn't allow it.
I kind of remember there being a rift between the two of them while mom was working on her degree. I wonder if dad felt threatened by mom going to school, thus the rift.
I hope not.

thursday

cleaned the house today and did a few loads of laundry. we went to the store and pharmacy then  i pulled weeds when we got home. when son got home from work he dug a hole next to the foundation to below ( only about a foot) where there's a small crack. he filled it with concrete repair,or something similar.
 i'm glad to have that done! it's been worrying me.

son recently visited a friend in portal arizona.
his friend has 300 snakes. around 100  of them are rattle snakes that includes every species. he takes care of them for a company that makes/studies anti venom.. presently they are housed in his and his wife's home.
can you imagine living with them in your home? i wouldn't be able to sleep!
i remember when sons friend was a young boy...........he was always collecting little creatures.........even provided many species of turtles to the local aquarium
.............for all it's worth, son said it's very beautiful in portal arizona.............and he said phoenix arizona was very clean,and nice.

boyfriends fine. so is mr. bojangles and woody.

thursday

I talked to the HR person from my work yesterday.
I haven't filled in for 6 months so I just wanted to let
her know I still want to keep my foot in the door.........they text me schedule
needs everyday............and I will pick up a day when I can.
She was nice, and my foot is still in the door!

When I went to get my clothes out of the laundry basket Woody was in there resting. It startled me for a second! lol He looked so cute.

Middle son is in Arizona to visit a friend and to do some rock climbing.
I worry about him getting hurt but I'm happy he's there doing it!

Daughter is living with oldest son for awhile.
I feel a little relief that she is there. I worry about him since his wife
passed away. I'm glad he's not alone in that house..............

monday

So son replaced all the door nobs, put in a new side porch spot light, put in a new door bell, put a peep hole in the front door (when i bought the door several years back i didn't get a peep hole because i was too big a tight ass to spend an extra 30 or 50 bucks to have one put in....didn't think i needed it......have missed having one every time there's a knock on the door!).......fixed a leak under the sink, and put in a new shower head! oh, and he laid top soil and grass seed!
I am so grateful for all that he has done around here. I am  not so good at home repairs plus i'm just lazy..........and boyfriend is just not able to do those things anymore.
I'm grateful...........

I broke my toe a couple of days ago. I was cleaning the carpets and hit the toe on a table leg. It's sore, purple, and swollen but nothing too terrible!

I went to the dentist for a check up...........it was a new office because I didn't want to go to mine because he is so far away. I thought I'd give one closer to home a try. They want to do some major stufff that costs major money...................... i think i'm being scammed..............so now i'll have to go back to mine and see what he says.

saturday

A Praying Mantis that's been hanging around our porch for a week or so..............I like them........they're neat looking..........my grade school used to have them all over the playground........except back then they were huge.......like 7 or 8 inches long...........

He looks like he's smiling for the camera

Buckeyes that son brought home today for the squirrels.......he gave me one.......said they're supposed to bring good luck........he gave one to boyfriend as well........I put mine in my purse.....................when son told me he brought home some Buckeyes, I thought he meant peanut buttery chocolate goodness!

saturday

I dusted everything in the house today that needed dusting. I've been putting it off for far too long! I'm glad to have it done!
I also cleaned the bathroom and kitchen, vacuumed, windexed all the screens and mirrors, and packed a bunch of treatment stuff we no longer use for the wound care clinic to give to a patient that may be having trouble affording some of the stuff. I also did a bunch of laundry including washing all of the throw rugs. Last but not least I emptied all the trash cans.
The house looks and smells really good. Feels great to have it done!

This evening I'm going to work on a painting. My sister wants a painting of a cow. I sent to her a text that included a picture of a new painting I bought. It's a painting of a cow. I fell in love with him. My sister got the text, said she loved it, that it was my best work yet, and would I do one for her. So that's what I will work on later. When I give it to her I will tell her I didn't paint the cow picture that I text to her.  For now I will let her believe I painted the pic. lol

monday

I think I'll try to get some house cleaning done today. I've done two loads of laundry, almost. One is still in the dryer.
I guess I'll dust. Of all chores around the house, dusting is the one I dislike the most.

It's cool and breezy outside. You can feel Fall in the air. I like it!

I think
I'll make a pot of chili, and some cornbread for supper. I have a green pepper in the crisper, and one in the backyard ready to be picked. That's two peppers I managed to grow this summer. I was so busy with doctor appointments and hospital stays that I neglected my tiny garden. The deer ate most of my tomatoes. The others died from lack of water I think. Maybe next year I'll do better.
But anyway, I'll use the two green peppers in the pot of chili!

Mr. Bojangles is in boyfriends bed napping. Every time I walk past the bed I kiss him on the head and rub his soft fur. He's so cute. Woody is on the dining room chair sleeping. I love his big, fat, furry tail and messy fur. He's a sweet little baby.

saturday

we spent a few days and a couple of nights in Nashville Indiana.
it's a small country like town with many small shops and small art galleries that sell work from local artists. I really enjoyed the galleries.
we also spent a day at the brown county Indiana state park. it's a beautiful place with several lakes and numerous walking trails..........................................and  at the end of our days out we'd head back to our little cottage in the woods. it was so pretty.........even had our own very large pond, stocked with catfish and bass......and had lots of bull frogs lol..........and horses next door that I'd get to see graze in the fields in the morning.............................and of course we had a nice hot tub for me to relax in at night, and early morning or any time i wanted to................................................ it was a much needed wonderful time away from home.........

tuesday

nothing much going on here.
i cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, including the floors, and did a load of laundry today. then i took a
long nap. :O)
when son got home from work he replaced the door nobs on  my bedroom door, hall closet, door to the upstairs bedrooms, and basement door. he also put a lock on the basement stairway door.
 they look nice!
 most of the old door nobs were original to the house. so they were 60 years old. we saved them. someone out there needs them.

we have no doctor appointments until the 6th.
that's the longest stretch in months.
we are very happy about it!

the kitties are doing ok but i think mr. bojangles misses weeping.

oldest son is doing ok i think.
i text him this evening and asked if he was doing ok.
he was having dinner with his dog, manny. they were eating ravioli.
his dog loves italian food!

sunday

The weather here has been perfect, low humidity, warm, and sunny. It's beautiful.

So boyfriends central line was discontinued this past Tuesday. YAY! No more daily trips to the hospital! They started him on oral antibiotics that he will take  for two weeks. His wound is healing nicely.

We went to the oncologist this past Friday to go over boyfriends last Cat Scan......... nothing has changed...............so we do a Pet Scan in October...........the doctor said if nothing changes again  we stop doing the scans every three months, do them once or twice a year instead.
 It was a good report!

Now we are planning a trip........................we don't care too much to where we will go............we just want to get away!

thursday

Son set up a trail cam in our front yard.
He's had equipment stolen and someone using his dumpster at a job site so he bought the camera.
He set it up here to try it out.

The first two pictures are of Woody. He's obviously checking out the camera.

Later in the night there's a picture of my neighbor coming off my porch. 

She's often high and drunk. I'm pretty sure she uses heroin. I could speculate all night as to why she was on my porch. I just don't know for sure though.

friday

my sisters hat cracks me up

sweet daughter. her birthday is tomorrow.

i love old barns

sweet

little bird grazing with horses

moma and her baby.........so sweet i think!

wed

Today we went for IV antibiotics, to a doctors office for paperwork for our appeal for a claim denied by our insurance, then to the grocery.
When we got home I met my sister at dads house. She cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms. I dusted and vacuumed.We always end up having fun when we go there to clean. Today was no exception.
Came home from dads, cooked dinner (hamburgers, beans, and applesauce) and unloaded and then loaded the dishwasher. I swept the kitchen floor and  washed the kitchen counter, windexed the front storm door and vacuumed. Then I changed boyfriends bandage, cut his hair and shampooed his scalp. I watched him use the nose hair trimmer because I've never seen one used before. It's handy I guess. :O)
I trimmed my toenails. lol ........ and I cut up some pears and naval oranges for later......I washed my hands first!
Nothing terribly exciting going on............................just more of the same...............we are hoping to that the antibiotics are discontinued the 22.....................yesterday the doctor said boyfriends counts are elevating again and depending on his counts Monday the 21 she may decide to continue them for a few more weeks. All we can do is try to roll with the punches..............we don't really have a choice.

tuesday

Woody napping. He can sleep through anything, and usually on his back.

One of the last photos of Weeping. She loved to sleep on the mulch after it had been baking in the sun. I think it felt good to her older joints and bones.  She's smiling in the picture. :O) She was precious

Short video of Woody stretching. When he's nervous he stretches. He used to do it 25 times a day. Now not so much. If you look close enough you can see his shaved butt. lol I think it's cute!

monday

We had 2 doctor appointments today...............I don't know why they wear me out, but they do.Tomorrow we have 3 doctor appointments. We will be relieved when the daily trips for IV medication stops.
Son replaced the side porch light. It's been broken for at least a year. So glad it's fixed! He also fixed the pipe leak under the bathroom sink! And last but not least he laid some top soil on a part of the front yard where I had stepping stones that I hated. He also laid grass seed. It looks better already!

Between  doctor appointments I called the insurance company re a claim that was denied, emailed a doctor re that claim, and also talked to another of boyfriends doctor re the same claim. I'm not very patient when it comes to that type of stuff. I usually end up some place between the verge of tears or the verge of yelling.

Oh, son also called the refrigerator company for me. The ice maker is spitting out specks of plastic with the ice. They're coming Wed. to have a look. It's still under warranty.
 I remember my mom and dad had a refrigerator in their basement that was 40 years old. It still worked. I wish they still made appliance like they used to!

thursday

Middle son changed his mind about moving in with his big brother.
He moved here instead. So did his cat, Tye.
It's temporary. It's "just until I find a house........or maybe build one." :O)
I'm OK with it.
I enjoy his company, plus he fixed the back door lock for me this evening, and he cleaned the kitty litter boxes.........................and I know that when I die, he will be grateful for the time he moved back home for a minute.

We went to the hosp. this morning for IV therapy. I went inside with boyfriend the first two weeks, and that was after 2 weeks in the hosp. This week I couldn't do it. I was feeling claustrophobic and trapped while in the hosp. So I wait outside in the car. I read while I wait.

After we left the hosp. we stopped at the eye doctors office hoping they would squeeze us in to have boyfriends eye checked. It hurts, itches, tears, and is red. The doctor said his cornea is very swollen, that it could be herpes....put him on an antiviral and is sending him to a cornea specialist. The eye medication was a hundred bucks. His insurance saved us 264 bucks. WTF!
I feel guilty for feeling sick to death of doctors appointments, offices, and hospitals. But I do. I wish it would all go away and that boyfriend would be ok.

tuesday

Nothing much going on here,
We went to the hosp.(cancer tx center) this morning for
boyfriend to get his medicine.....then headed home to wait on the wound care nurse.She was a half an hour late per her usual.
Before going to the hosp
I did a couple loads of laundry, vacuumed, windexed the TVs and monitors, and cleaned the kitchen floor.
I cleaned the car after wound care nurse left, then pulled some weeds and planted some tulip bulbs.

This evening I went out to dinner with an old high school friend.
It was fun catching up!

friday

We went to the hospital this morning for boyfriend to receive his IV (he has a central line) antibiotics.
The wound care nurse arrived shortly after we got home from the hospital. After she left I did a few loads of laundry, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen, read a bit, then took a 4 hour nap. It was a deep, restful sleep!
We had a late lunch, early dinner consisting of bean soup and fried bologna sandwiches. It was gross.
 I have watermelon and strawberries chilling in the frig for a snack for later.

We're having the kids over on Sunday for dinner to celebrate middle sons birthday. Looking forward to having them all here.

My nephew wrecked his Jeep Cherokee. He over corrected after attempting to miss a bump in the road....... Flipped his car a few times totaling it, but was uninjured!

One of the boys who grew up with and hung around with my sons while growing up died a few days ago from a drug overdose. He was 29. His brother died of a heroin overdose 10 years ago. They were very sweet kids. All I hear anymore on the news is another person dies from an overdose, usually heroin. I'm not sure what the fix or answer is...........it's a sad sad problem.

Tuesday

It's been a crazy, overwhelming past few weeks.
Long story short, boyfriend was in the hospital for a couple of weeks(a chaotic and frustrating experience. I was so angry some of the time with staff I thought I would have a stroke.) where he had
a couple of surgeries. Since his release we've had a wound care nurse coming to the
house  3 times a week. We go to the wound care clinic once a week, and to the hospital daily for IV antibiotics. We will continue to go to the hospital daily for another month for IV antibiotics.

Son sold his condo. He is going to buy a house when he finds the one he wants. In the mean time he is going to stay with his brother. He has been bringing stuff here to store, tons of stuff...................as he was bringing stuff here to store, daughter was busy moving out to her new apartment. And to add to the stress, even though it was a good thing, boyfriends son and daughter-in-law were here from Colorado to visit. They left last night.

We are exhausted.

  Somewhere in all the above I went with son to pick out a headstone for his deceased wife. I had promised him I would when he was ready.
 Unlike me, he is very stoic, and for whatever reason his stoicism makes my heart ache even more for him.
We got it done though. He did good.

Weeping, my beautiful, Siamese, cat was struck by a car last week. We took her to the emergency room where she passed away several hours later. Her death is what busted the dam. I cried for 3 days. So did boyfriend.
Our hearts are broken.

                                                          Weeping  July 22, 2006---July 27, 2017
                                     R.I.P. my furry ball of sweetness and joy. We love and miss you.

friday

I went to the horse track with my dad and sister yesterday. Boyfriend also went but he stayed inside at the casino.
I had a blast.
I bet on all 10 races.
My mom would always bet on the grey horses.
So I bet on the 2 grey horses that raced. One of them won! And
There was a jockey riding who is 60 years old I think.
I like that he was older and still racing. So I also bet on the horse he was riding.
He won!
And then the announcer instructed everyone to check their program for a red autograph on the inside
front jacket because whoever had the autographed program wins a gift.
Dad had the autographed book.
He won a nice gym bag, a couple t shirts, a hat and a glass. lol
Boyfriend hit a 250 dollar jackpot, I left 4 dollars ahead.
It was a fun day.

wednesday

We have a few errands to run today.
Right now boyfriend is napping. Woody and Mr. Bojangles are also napping, each on a dining room chair. Weeping is outside taking her daily walk down the street.
I just cleaned up the kitchen and read the blogs that I read.
I should probably do house cleaning but I just don't want to.

The deer ate the tomatoes and green peppers off my plants, and they ate the daffodils from the front flower bed.
They're starting to piss me off.
If I think of it while we're out today, I'll get some chicken wire to put around my veggie plants.
My pumpkin vines are doing pretty good. I wonder if the deer will eat them when they begin to flower.

We have a big trial going on right now in Cincinnati. A policeman shot a man he had pulled over on a traffic stop. He says the guy tried to drive away and pulled him with his car. He shot him in the head. There's video. I don't see him being pulled. The guy he pulled over had a bag of pot and a couple thousand dollars in the car that was found after the shooting.. He refused to turn off the car,and refused to show his drivers license after multiple requests to do so.. I don't think he has ever  held a job, and he has 22 children by multiple women. I think he was in his late 40's.
One of the community leaders, a church pastor I think, says there will be civil unrest (riots?) if the cop is not found guilty. This case has been to court once. There was a hung jury. They're trying the cop for murder.
The cop pulled other AA persons over that day. The videos of those accounts showed him being calm and respectful.
The cop was wearing a confederate flag t-shirt under his uniform.
I'm sure there's more
 to the story. I'm just repeating what I've heard/read. A civil suit was settled before the case even went to court.
The jury began deliberations yesterday.
I predict another hung jury.
Deters, the DA, says he will re try until he gets a verdict. We will see.

Daughters boyfriend was here the other day. He's a policeman.
I was a little shocked to see he was wearing his gun on his hip, in my house.
I didn't like it.
Guns scare me.
He's very nice, and non threatening.........but still I don't like it. 

monday

I spent a few hours at my dads house yesterday. I brought to him a gift for Father's Day, and I brought some chili that I had made.......
We sat together on his deck and chit chatted.  It was a nice time.

My grown children stopped by my house to see boyfriend on Father's Day.
He's been good to them.They're grateful that he's been a part of their lives.
And then my children had their father over to oldest sons house and they all had dinner together.

We didn't do much today.
I woke at 3:45 AM night before last because I thought I heard
boyfriend drop something in the kitchen.
He was up to make coffee. He fainted though and what I heard was him falling.
He hit his head on the stove but wasn't injured.
He didn't want to go to the hospital to be checked.&...figure out why he passed out............. I wanted him to go.....in the end though it's his choice........he has so little control with whats going on with his health......but he has control and can decide whether or not to be seen by a doctor....and he didn't want to go..............so we stayed home today......he rested.........&
He feels ok.

thursday

We had a wonderful time in the Smokey Mountains.
I wish we could have stayed longer!
We saw a bear outside our cabin.
It was neat to see, but it also freaked me out a little bit.....
I was nervous while in the hot tub, afraid another bear would
show up and attack me. lol
The place is beautiful.................

This little guy

would visit us at our cabin each morning and evening .He's the greatest dog I've ever met. A true sweetheart. I'd see him walking beside bike riders, and I'd see him visiting construction workers rebuilding cabins that burned last year,and then I'd see him visiting at other cabins.

He is adorable. I wanted to take him home! 

friday

We renamed Groucho, Woody. He's always playing in the mulch, and the mulch sticks to his fur.  Plus we just like Woody better!

thursday

We had an impromptu gathering with family and friends this past Saturday.
Boyfriend  bought a huge load of fireworks for the 4th but we decided to not put off
until then..............it was a great night .......we grilled, did fireworks........then settled back with a bon fire.........good company, conversation, food, entertainment.................all around great night. :O)

We booked a cabin in the Smokey Mountains today for a get a way we are taking soon.We will probably see a few bear while there.........they're active with their cubs I think....looking forward to seeing the cubs. Mostly I'm just looking forward to getting away!

Boyfriend takes his last dose of antibiotic tomorrow. Most of the shortness of breath was from pneumonia. He looks better, and is feeling better..........they also have him on oxygen.......he only needs it now when he sleeps or while exerting his self.

I haven't worked a shift since March.
Hopefully they will keep me on as an employee!

sunday

Little buddy had his surgery and is doing well. He can sleep through anything! He loves to sleep on his back.......cute little friend. They tattoo them down by the incision. A little green line so if they are ever picked up the pound will know they are already spayed or neutered. It's universal. I didn't know.......

I spent the morning cleaning and doing laundry. I got a lot finished. It looks and feels good!

I was supposed to work today......... signed up a month ago........decided to stay home with boyfriend until we got things squared away with him.

When we went to the doctors the other day the NP wanted to send boyfriend to the hospital for a direct admit...

He said no. So she sent him home with a prescription for oxygen and an order to reduce  the dose of one of his meds by half. The med. slows down the heart. His rate is too low. 

We will see the doctor again this Wed.

thursday

I have some cabbage soup cooking. It has carrots, onion, tomatoes, green beans, spinach, cabbage and garlic in it. It's really yummy!

It makes the house smell good too.

Boyfriend is having a problem with low blood pressure and low oxygen saturation.

His oncologist thinks, in re to the low oxygen saturation, that boyfriend probably needs to be on oxygen. So we have an appointment with the family doctor tomorrow to see what he thinks.

Groucho, my neighbors cat is being neutered today.
Daughter dropped him off at the vet this morning. My neighbor gave us permission to get him neutered.....
He gets to come home tomorrow. Neighbor is letting him stay here for a day or two to recuperate.
He's such a cute, and funny little cat.

I get to meet daughters new boyfriend Monday. He's coming to our family picnic. They've been dating for about 5 months. He's a cop, has a dog named Lucy and lives in an apartment. He's 2 years older than daughter. That's about all I know about him.So I'm anxious to meet him.........and make sure he's OK. :O)

tuesday

Today I cleaned the cars . It took me five hours. I used to be able to do it in about an hour.
I played my Nora Jones CD while I worked. Her music relaxes me. Plus it was warm and sunny........very nice outside. So I did take my time while I worked.
The cars looks great!

Oldest son text me yesterday a picture of his Magnolia tree.
It's a mature tree but has never had flowers in the 6 or 7 years he's known the tree.......until yesterday. When he arrived home from work there were large white flowers all over the tree.
It was what would have been his 1 year marriage anniversary.
He believes his deceased wife was letting him know she is OK and that she was acknowledging their anniversary.
I think so too.......and I'm glad t brought comfort to and made my son smile.

saturday

We got an email last night from boyfriends oncologist.
The Pet Scan results  showed improvement again and no new cancer!
We cheered and kissed........then called all of our family to share the good news.
And so now we can exhale and relax a bit until the next time!

We gave the kitties each a flea treatment today.
Weeping hates it the most.
She will keep a low profile for a couple of days. Poor baby.

friday

For whatever reason I've been thinking about an old friend today.
She grew up down the street and around the corner from my childhood home.
Her dad was a raging alcoholic.He was a mean and verbally abusive man. He tormented my old friend with his raging, drunken, abusive behaviors. He could barely walk as he grew older because the years of alcohol abuse caused nerve damage to his legs.
When my friend was about 15 years old and after a morning of the usual abuses by her drunken father she snapped I think. All the years of hate, fear,and rage she felt towards her father came to surface. So after he crashed from his nightly drunk and morning abuse, my friend took a baseball bat to the room her father slept and she hit him in the head with this bat several times.
She didn't kill him. He wasn't even hospitalized. But she did cause him to bruise and bleed.
He didn't call the police.
I think he knew he deserved what she did to him.
She called me, invited me over to tell me what she had done, and to show me
the blood in his bed. In retrospect I think she was in shock..........
So yeah, I've been thinking about her.................it's sad how crappy some parents can be......how badly they damage their own children.
I've talked to my friend through the years.
She married once for a couple of years.........turned out he was a lot like her father.She left him. She's never remarried or had children of her own.
She doesn't drink or use drugs. Never has............she works hard at whatever  job she works........takes care of herself...............I hope she is doing well.

Yesterday boyfriend and I went to a little antique store.
I bought this ashtray straight out of the 60's or early 70's. I fell in love with it...........not to use for
smoking.....I don't allow smoking in my house.....but I've put it on my DR table for now.....it's huge.....reminds me of something you'd see on a 60's television show.........or in my childhood home even.........it's a neat little piece of art I think

My dishwasher will not shut off. It's been running continuously, in the drain cycle since last 9PM.
Even when I open it, it continues to run.
I've gone through the checklist of things to do before calling for help.
Finally I called for help.
They wont be here until Monday.
Their best advice for the mean time is to pull the circuit breaker. Whatever....

I have poison ivy on my neck.
I was really careful while pulling it out of my yard so hopefully mt neck
will be the only place I break out!

wed

I had a nice Mothers Day.
My adult children came over and we had lunch together on the deck.
It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day......
I always love spending time with them.

Today I transplanted my tomato, green bell pepper, and red bell peppers in to the very large
flower pots that I use to grow them in........
I also planted some flowers that son gave to me for Mothers Day....and
I cleaned the porch, hosed it down and cleaned the outdoor rug that's on the porch.

I fnished the Etan Patz book........it was a little depressing........and reminded again how inept some police departments can be.
Dad dropped off a new stack of books.........I've started reading "Blind Faith" by Joe McGinniss........another true crime.......then i'm finished reading thta type of book for awhile....

Boyfriend had a PetScan yesterday. We have an appointment with the oncologist this Monday.
We hope he calls us by Friday though with results.

friday

I cleaned the kitties litter boxes today, changed our beds, did a couple loads of laundry, and planted my pumpkin seeds.
Then boyfriend and I picked up a drive by breakfast and headed to the casino.
We didn't do so good until we were  on our way out. Then we hit a jackpot for 165 bucks, and another for 280.
It was fun!
I think United airlines made a mistake paying that I'll give u drugs for sex, doctor, who threw a giant temper tantrum after United over booked then told him he would have to take a later flight.
Every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Jane will throw a huge fit causing self injury and then expect a pay out from the airline. It irritates me.
Dad left a book for me in my mailbox.
This one is "After Etan"......the true story of Etan Patz, the little boy taken while on his way to the school bus stop and then murdered by some child raping sicko.

This is Groucho,our neighbors cat. He sleeps on our porch at night. This is him at midnight. He seems comfortable I think.

thursday

I like sitting on my porch early in the morning before the neighbors are up and getting ready for their day. It's so peaceful. I especially like it when it's raining.
The woman across the street is usually the first one up. She has three children that she has to get ready for school as she gets herself ready for work. She's the hardest working woman on the block I think. Her husband is out of town for weeks at a time some of the time. So the majority of raising the children and taking care of the home is her responsibility. I remember those days. It's a lot of work but it's also very full filling I think.

We don't have much going on today.
Boyfriend needs to have some blood work done. We also plan to go to the store to get some grass seed and top soil. I'll probably lay the seed when we get home.
 I've finished scrapping the flaking paint from the porch railing, so I also need to buy the paint to paint it. If it doesn't rain I'll probably start painting today.
And then I need to get my youngest sister a birthday card, and get it in the mail.

I'm sitting at the dining room table.
Mr. Bojangles is on the table just next to my right arm. He's dozing and purring very loudly. I keep kissing him on the top of his head.

Monday

A little place in Key West. Daughter took the picture. It made me laugh! She came home today. It was the trip of a life time for her. :O) Her pictures are hilarious, pretty, and look like a great time. (for all it's worth she said Teddy Turner was a really nice guy, and said his little boy is as adorable as can be.) She wasn't there though to hang out with him. Her and her 2 closest friends were guests of her friends uncle and the rest of their family.

Didn't do much today.

I vacuumed, did some dishes, and took out the garbage.I picked up daughter from her friends condo and chit chatted with her when we got home and during the car ride home......................

sunday

Yesterday was oldest sons birthday.
Understandably he wasn't really up to celebrating.
I had him and his younger brother over for
a late lunch/early dinner. Made a pot of chili and sons favorite cheesecake.
Sons and boyfriend ended up watching The Outlaw Josey Wales........I tried  watching with them but ended up falling asleep.
It was a quiet day.
I went to bed early.
I just wanted an escape I guess. It felt good to sleep.

I made some egg salad for supper.
I had cottage cheese, egg salad, and red bell pepper. Boyfriend had chili from last night.
I enjoyed the bell pepper......it was cold, crisp, and sweet. The other stuff was kind of gross.

We didn't do much today. We hung around the house and mostly watched TV and napped. I did do a couple loads of laundry. Son stopped over to borrow our weed whacker. Groucho visited me on the porch. He's so darn cute......can't help but like the little fellow.

friday

I talked to oldest son last night.
Daughter-in-laws death notice requested donations be made to SAAP (stray animal adoption program). It's where they got their dog who had been tied up in a yard, never to run or be sheltered from the elements,
neglected and abused.
So when son got home from work there was a letter from SAAP with a list of
of all the donations they've received so far in honor of his wife.
It made him so happy and proud for Rhae. He says she would be thrilled.
He also received a letter from The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of KY in memoriam of Rhae. I'm not exactly sure what it's all about.............will have to read it myself............................whatever it is, it sure made son feel good. So for that I am grateful.

We went to the grocery store today and to the pharmacy. Boyfriends medications weren't ready so we will go back later today.

I'm cooking liver and onions for dinner tonight. Oldest son is stopping over after work and I know it's one of his favorite meals.

Mr. Bojangles is sitting next to me in my bed. He's licking his paw then wiping his eyes with his damp paw. So cute.........

tuesday

Yesterday was my birthday.
Boyfriend, who I call Ace in person, and will start calling him Ace on here, took me to the casino and out to dinner. We didn't win any money but sure had fun trying! Ace had steak at our steakhouse and I had a burger. It was pretty good.
Sons stopped by after their work day. So I got to spend time with them. Daughter is in Florida, but we spoke on the phone.
It was a nice day!

My dad got me the book "The Shack."
I'm almost finished reading it. Haven't decided yet if I like it.
It's interesting I guess. I usually shut down when religion is part of the equation. I didn't with this though.

Today I will probably go to the city building and pay property taxes on my car and renew my license plate, go to the bank, and run to the store.

sunday

I had the family over last night for dinner.
It was a nice time.
Oldest son couldn't bring his self to go to his home
at the end of the evening.
He spent the night here then went home this morning.
My heart breaks for him. I know he will be ok eventually......the road to that point though
is a sad one.

I finally completed mine and my daughters taxes.
I was distracted and sure that I made errors. If the IRS finds them
I'm sure they will notify me.
It's nothing that can't be corrected. :O)~

Daughter left this morning for the Florida Keys.
Her best friends uncle is a rich man.
He rented a 9 bedroom home that has two guest houses, 3 pools, 2 spas, and a private beach and boat dock. I've seen pictures of the house. It's beautiful!
They also have at their service a Mercedes Benz bus and 2 boats. To boot, they have a private chef for the time they are there.
I hope she has the time of her life!
Last night at dinner she said that her best friend keeps going on about "some dude named Teddy Turner is staying with us."  lol.     and he really is............

thursday

My tulips were so beautiful! Every time I'd look at them I couldn't help but smile. Unfortunately the deer ate all of them! lol       I'll figure something out for next year so it doesn't happen again. Those little fookers!

It was a beautiful sunny day here today.
I spent all day outside, hands in the dirt.
Transplanted a dozen or more plants from the back to the front yard, laid some mulch, and pulled up some ugly ground cover.
I've also been scraping rust and flaking paint from the railing on the front porch. It's an ugly mess. I don't want to spend money to replace it.
 I think it will look just fine when I've finished with it.

Yesterday I renewed my drivers license. I like the picture on this one better than the last one........
I measure my height while at the bureau. I was 5'5. I asked the lady if their chart was correct because I'm 5'7. She said it's correct............maybe I should have stood with my back to the chart rather than the other way around...........maybe I'm shrinking.......

Son is doing OK I guess.
He said he hates going home after work, and he gets really anxious when his phone rings. Says he worries someone else may have died. I think what he's going through is normal for now and will resolve with time. His in-laws have been wonderful to my son, and very supportive to him since her passing. They're good people.

Daughter snapped a picture of the neighbors cat, Grouch Marx, taking a nap with boyfriend and my cat Mr. Bojangles............The 3 of them together in bed ...........she sent the picture via text to our neighbor. She text back " no wonder the fucker never comes home!" lol

saturday

Son went home night before last.
I offered to stay with him.
He needed some time alone.
I went to his house early yesterday morning with a load of groceries and
other things that he may need......and got the dog some dog biscuit treats. I think we're best friends now, me and the dog. :O) I love him because he's a sweetie, plus he comforts my son.
I did some cleaning at sons house while he gathered, and took care of some paper work...............then we ran a few errands, and got some coffee.
More than anything I wish I could make things right in my sons world again........make it all go away......fix it  back to normal..........I can't.

sunday

My oldest sons wife of 10 months passed away, very unexpectedly, this past Thursday. She was 32.
Son found her deceased in their home that afternoon/early evening when he arrived home from work.
He is shocked, heart broken, sad, and all of those other feelings you feel when something like this happens.
The past two days have been spent with him and his mother-in-law making funeral arrangements and sharing thoughts, feelings, and stories about sons wife..
 I was at daughter in laws parents house yesterday and the father is beside himself with grief. The mom I think is still in shock.
My heart aches for them and for my daughter-in-law but mostly it breaks for my son. He is staying here for now, and for as long as he needs. He spends a little time each day at his home to tend to his pets and to hug his dog who I think gives son great comfort. Mostly though he does not want to be in his house or to ever live there again.

wednesday

This is the little guy that visits me and boyfriend daily. We call him Mr. Marx. I think he looks like Groucho! Such a sweet and friendly kitty.

Some of my Tulips. They're pretty in person!

monday

I worked yesterday.
It was crazy busy but knowing I wasn't going to schedule myself
to work in April, that it wasn't something I had to do day after day, made it easier to deal with........

Boyfriend spent the day in bed yesterday. He was vomiting, coughing and chilling. His head was pounding. .........and he just felt hopeless I guess...........I talked to him on the phone from work............he was tearful...........I felt so bad for him...................I've always wondered if I made the right decision to quit my job..........yesterday I knew I'd made the right choice..........

We have all the fall and winter mess cleaned from the yard thanks to a lawn service.
Saturday I put some fresh paint on one of the cast iron table and chairs set we have on the deck.........and I cleaned out some flower pots. Today I'm going to move some plants from the back yard to the front.
My Tulips look beautiful. About half have bloomed. Makes me smile every time I look at them.

thursday

Daughter text me on her drive home from work to ask if I wanted to go shopping with her. She's going to the Florida Keys in the next several weeks and needs a new bathing suit and such.
I was in bed sleeping because I'm trying to cut caffeine out of my diet. I figured if I was sleeping I wouldn't think about wanting caffeine. I didn't get her text, so she called, spoke to boyfriend and boyfriend woke me. "Sure I can be ready in ten minutes." As soon as we hung up I jumped in the shower and hoped I'd at least be out of the shower by the time she got here!
So we shopped.
I bought 2 new pair of shorts and a shirt.
I also got a cute table cloth for Easter, and some wax melts, pumpkin spice and lemon sugar cookie. They both make the house smell so good!
Daughter bought a lot of stuff but didn't find a bathing suit yet. She did buy the cutest sun glasses wearing Flamingo beach towel.
We had a nice time. I love spending time when her!
I bought a pretty little flower arrangement for my mom at the cemetery.
I'll take it to her tomorrow.
I'm also going to clean the inside and outside of both cars tomorrow. It's going to be very warm and sunny.........we're looking forward to spending time outside!

tuesday

Pickle juice spilled on my cell phone and my camera while on the drive to Florida. Both were ruined. The cell phone wasn't expensive so no big deal. But my camera was expensive. I bought an inexpensive one in Florida to replace the one that was ruined. Eventually I'll buy a new, better camera.

I have a corn beef brisket in the crock pot. Boyfriend has been craving a Reuben, so that's what we will have for dinner.

We went to the casino a few days ago.
Boyfriend hit 690 bucks.  It was fun!
After the casino we went out for dinner.
I had the lamb chops and he had steak.
It was pretty good.

I invited dad over for dinner a couple days ago.
I made spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and salad. He liked moms spaghetti. Mine tastes like hers.........so made it for him.......
He ended up staying for a few hours. I like spending time with him.....he's a good man/dad.

I'm having cantaloupe and v-8 juice for breakfast as I type this. The cantaloupe is pretty good!

I signed up to work this coming Sunday.
I'm looking forward to it.

monday

We gave the kitties a flea treatment. We buy the treatments at the Vets office. When the kitties get a treatment they also get a cat nip pillow. It's Barbie doll size. They're handmade by someone at the Vets. It's our cats favorite cat nip treat. They love on and chew on the things for a couple of weeks.

The neighbors got a new kitty several weeks ago..
He's a little black and white fur ball with long white ear hair. The cutest little thing in the world. I think they are bored with him because now he spends all of his days and nights outside, even when it's freezing cold. He visits me on my porch.....loves to be pet and held. Sits on my shoulder and nuzzles against my neck while purring in my ear.
 He was flea infested. You could see them in his eyes, and he was scratching and digging at his self non stop. So we also gave him a flea treatment. He feels much better.
 I have a little shoe box lined with a towel on my front porch for him. It's where you can find him at all hours of the night.

It's supposed to start snowing here in a few hours.
It's been a mild winter.
I'm looking forward to the snow!

sunday

Things at work went well yesterday.
I'm always surprised when the patients with dementia
remember my name. Especially after I've been away for a couple of months.
It makes me smile.
It's my 17th year there this month. I took the job 17 years ago thinking I'd stay just until I figured out where I really wanted to work.  :O)

I stopped biting my nails a little over a month ago.
They're starting to look healthy again!

thursday

I've been busy catching up the house cleaning and laundry. I have have it all finished except one load of laundry in the wash and one in the dryer! Feels good to have it out of the way!

I took a walk at the cemetery this morning. I saw 5 deer, one of them a buck, walking and running around together. They're graceful, like ballerinas I think. I like watching them.

I work a 12 hour shift this Saturday. I haven't picked up a shift since December so I'm looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time. I like the supervisor I'll be working with. He's competent, and a hands on type of guy. Plus he runs out at noonish and picks up a cup of coffee for everyone.

tuesday

We had a great time in Florida.....couldn't have asked for better weather! Sat on the beach house deck and watched the dolphins play........buried my feet in the sand..........walked the beach and collected sea shells......played in the ocean..... got a nice tan.... I forgot my metal detector. Left it in the dining room.......remembered it about an hour away from home..............boyfriends sister had never been to the ocean before. She was amazed, and had a great time. It was fun getting to know her. She's  about 10 years older than boyfriend.......and she treated him like a little boy.........(rolling my eyes)........lol......
I wish I could go back tomorrow!

Celebrated my dads birthday yesterday. He's 80.
I had some of the family over for dinner to celebrate with him.
It was a nice time.

The kitties sure did miss us while we were gone. When we got back from Florida they clung to us for about a week. They're so cute to me!

thursday

Boyfriends sister is still here and will be here until the 5th.
I will have more time to write after that day!

saturday

We had a wonderful trip! Returned home Thursday night.
I always enjoy the beach, sun, sand, and water.
Stopped off in Nashville on the way home. Loved it! It was really cool.

monday

Boyfriend had a neck to knee pet scan on the 1st. the doctor called us friday to let us know all areas are smaller than last time and aren't lighting up as much...............will get more info from him on the 10th at the appointment.....................boyfriend is thrilled, cried even..............i feel like we are living in limbo..........waiting for the ax to drop..................................

boyfriend and i are headed to florida soon...............his sister is flying in to ky from colorado and will be going with us.................i can't wait to be at the ocean and to be at the warm sunny beach!
i'm taking the metal detector this year. maybe i will find some treasures...........................maybe i will find my class ring i lost there during spring break my senior year! wouldn't that be a hoot?

nephew and a friend, plus daughter will be staying here while we are gone..............so i don't need to worry about the kitties!

today will be all about getting clothes and stuff together and ready for packing for our trip.

thurs

Not much going on here.
Today will be all about cleaning up the house.
If I don't vacuum often my throat begins to swell
from the cat dander and other allergens. It's frustrating. I look forward to pulling up the carpets and having my wood floors refinished some time this year! I think it will be easier to keep clean. Carpeting is just gross.   Dad left this book on my front porch yesterday.  I love it!  Four of my favorite paintings from the book are below......I especially love the last one.......

my babies